If you owe money to your friend, I’m sure it will be uncomfortable if instead of paying him/her back, you spend it on, say, a new TV. Though owing money to a company is slightly different, the numbers still work the same way. Do you want to spend it so you can be a debt slave longer, or do you want to become debt free so you actually own stuff that you can afford later? There’s really no magic, and that’s probably perhaps why you don’t read articles on how people concur the temptation because they don’t think it’s tempting to get further into debt with money they still don’t have.

The question I have is that I don’t find too many articles about how people manage to conquer the temptation of using the extra money, and use it for something else. We, debt paying people live frugally, rice and beans if you know what I mean, “gazelle intensity” , and all of the sudden now we are in the middle of snowballing, and we are paying $600-700 dollars when the minimum payment is only $193.00. How do you handle that temptation?

I’m a bit disgusted when people say they are bad with money and can’t save yet there they are buying $200 pairs of jeans. If people would stop putting such a value on materialistic unecessary things then less people would be in debt. Oh well I guess I can just laugh at everyone because I know what’s good to spend my money on and I don’t need a lot of things to get by in life.

Yes, it’s possible to be debt free in this day and age. Just like it’s possible to be a non-smoker and in great shape in this day and age.

But, you will be in the minority and will need to live a different (and better) lifestyle.

You think debt is neither bad nor good? How much debt are you carrying and how much interest do you pay each month?

You don’t control debt my friend. Debt controls you.

Gary
Sydney, Australia

In the end….. it is discipline that teach us so much…

It took me a family squabble to see that your money is really your responsibility no matter how much you need to save or spend. Being in debt means “You actually can’t afford it.” that’s why you borrow other people’s money to buy.

So banks tell you it’s healthy ( for them it’s healthy to lend people money because they earn double when you pay back ).

For you it is definitely not healthy.

Here is how I got myself out……….
“Squeeze everything I have to go debt free”

I’m lucky to have a mentor who has total discipline on life.
Everything from Life to Work.

I calculated over and over again until I could find no other areas that need spending in the near future. Then minus the expenditures that I have listed out.
Hell ….. There is no room for paying back borrowed money. And that means when I borrow there is no means of paying back. So why borrow and dig your own grave ?

Credit Cards? hmmmm………. done that ….. when you don’t have enough to pay back, you don’t even have any to save. And that actually means ????
It’s how you see that changes how you monitor your money. Fairly simple.
” Ah… but you don’t understand …… ” Really ? Who doesn’t understand ?

The evidence is clear that Social Security will not be there. Events of the last few decades show that pension promises are easily broken when companies go out of business (United Airlines and GM to name a couple.).

I don’t want to be a burden on society or my kids, so if no one else is going to provide for my retirement than I must.